i must admit, i feel pretty lucky to have married a man with family in san francisco. not only did i live there for 4 years, but it's one of my favorite places period. this was an especially good trip. i took hardly any pictures at all, but here are a few...

 

thanksgiving was just the 5 of us at my in-laws. yummy and relaxing and perfect!

family

 my in laws got 2 new kittens. they are insanely cute. 

no trip would be complete without an almond croissant from boulangerie

one day we took a drive over to the east bay to see the area where my husband grew up. we ended up here at tilden park- a spot i'd never been to before. it had the most spectacular view of the entire bay (which my iphone pic shot directly into the sunlight does not do justice). we drove down through the berkeley hills where i would seriously consider moving to if we ever decide to head back west...

my sister and mother in law threw me a mini shower along with some of my (still) best girlfriends who live in san francisco. it was small and intimate and just perfect. i felt really lucky to have such a wonderful family and to have the kind of old friends who it feels like time never passes...

other highlights of our trip included an incredible dinner at quince- which i've been hearing yummy reviews about for years; meeting esther (and seeing what a good big sister dottie is); staying at a beautiful old hotel; as well as visiting the most gorgeous shop where my friend allie does design work..

feeling very blessed.... hope you all had a lovely thanksgiving! xo

pie, originally uploaded by Emerson Merrick.

signing off early for the week. we are headed to san francisco to spend thanksgiving with my husband's family. soooooo excited! i miss that place. also, it's our last big hurrah before the wee one's arrival! happy holidays to all! xoxo

lovely abode

source

how sweet are these rag dolls by jess brown?

little doe

i recently discovered little doe via my friend hannah. i'm in love with their stuff. wish i was running around in the desert with feathers in my hair right now...

this kid is way cooler than i'll ever be..

cuteness found over at babylady

happy weekend

a sweet, haunting little number  by david eustace to end the week with. enjoy your weekend! xo

oh you tiny things

here a few of the tiny purchases i've made lately...

from top: infant sack and hat from plum bunny; wee bathing suits from zutano and kit and lili; tunic top from odette; striped leggings from area kids; onesie from beate; and vintage pillow case from the flea market..

oh you pretty things

lately, since most regular clothes are no longer fitting me and i don't want to spend a fortune on something that i will only be able to wear for a few months, my focus has been on jewelry. that way, i can spruce up the same basics over and over again. loving the organic shapes of these pieces over at  the vamoose

granny!!

i finally finished the granny square blanket! admittedly, there were a few months there where i just couldn't bring myself to work on it at all (there's something about crocheting and knitting that just doesn't seem right to me during the summertime). still, it took a lot longer than i anticipated. and, it's a LOT smaller than i  had originally planned. it is, however, the perfect size for a baby blanket! so while our couch is still in need of a new throw, our little wee one will be nice and cozy!

storm king

somehow after over 6 years in nyc, i only just visited storm king art center for the first time this weekend! i can't believe i waited so long- what an incredible place! it was a cold crisp late fall day and so we bundled up and enjoyed meandering around the expansive property. there were still some colors left on the trees and they made for a gorgeous background to the various sculptures... i'm already planning a trip next spring with visions of a picnic on the grass!

a halloween treat

this weekend, i co-hosted a baby shower for our friend maggie. she is just 2 1/2 months ahead of me and it's been so great to share the experience of pregnancy together. it was really a lot of fun planning this shower. we made bunting flags for all sorts of things.. cupcake and cake toppers as well as a welcome message cut out in felt. for favors, we made candy apples and wrapped them in parchment paper. it was a great day with a wonderful group of people. it seems though that all of the excitement was too much for sweet baby morris because the very next day, she decided to make her appearance in the world!! lily madeleine morris was born on halloween (very fitting if you knew how much her parents love this holiday)!! she is doing fine and is a cute as can be. cannot wait to meet her!!!

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

candy apples lined the mantle on the fireplace beneath the "sweet baby morris" bunting flags

in lieu of cards, we asked guests to bring their favorite books for the baby

some of the yummy spread of food

one of the other co-hosts, jen, is a master baker. she makes the best cup/cakes in town!

the mom to be the day before her little bundle of joy arrived!